Sytsems and methods for augmented-reality assisted determination of merchant compatibility

Abstract

Systems and methods for using an augmented-reality enabled user device to help users understand which merchants accept a predetermined group of payment methods are disclosed. A user may open a camera and point it at a merchant symbol. A user device application may determine what payment methods are accepted at the merchant and display such information as a virtual object on the display of a user device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for identifying an accepted payment method via augmented reality, the system comprising:
 a user device application configured to:
 activate a camera associated with a user device, 
 detect, via the camera, one or more merchant symbols associated with one or more merchants, 
 determine whether the one or more merchant symbols matches one or more known merchant symbols, 
 identify a merchant based on a match between the one or more merchant symbols and the one or more known merchant symbols, 
 determine whether the identified merchant accepts one or more predetermined payment methods, 
 generate a determination message, wherein:
 the determination message indicates whether the one or more merchants accepts at least one of the one or more predetermined payment methods, and 
 the determination message is a first virtual object, and 
 
 display the determination message on an augmented reality enabled display associated with the user device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a server, wherein the server is configured to:
 receive a merchant symbol from the user device application,   retrieve a merchant list from a data storage unit,   determine whether the one or more merchant symbols matches one or more known merchant symbols from the merchant list,   identify a merchant based on a match between the one or more merchant symbols and the one or more known merchant symbols, and   transmit a verification message to the user device application.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the server determines whether the one or more merchants accepts at least one of the one or more predetermined payment methods and transmits the determinations to the user device application. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to display multiple determination messages overlaid on top of the augmented reality enabled display. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant symbols comprise at least one selected from the group of a name, logo, and unique signifier. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to:
 retrieve one or more geolocation data associated with the user device, and   determine whether the merchant symbol associated with a merchant at a specific geolocation accepts one or more payment methods.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to:
 open a first communication field, and   receive, over the first communication field from a merchant tag, a merchant datum, wherein the datum is associated at least with the payment methods accepted at the merchant.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to detect the one or more merchant symbols through a digital photograph or video of the merchant symbol. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to initiate, upon determining whether the merchant accepts one or more payment methods, a haptic feedback on the user device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein user device application is further configured to:
 generate, upon detecting multiple merchant symbols via the camera, a prompt on the display wherein the prompt asks the user to confirm which merchant symbol the user would like to process;   receive, from the user interacting with the display, one or more selections associated with the one or more merchant symbols;   determine whether the one or more symbols associated with the detected merchants match one or more merchants on record; and   determine whether the merchant accepts one or more payment methods.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device application is further configured to, upon determining that there is no known merchant symbol associated with the merchant symbol, retrieve, one or more alternative payment information associated with the merchant, wherein the alternative payment information comprises at least one selected from the group of acceptance of credit cards, acceptance of debit cards, or acceptance of cash. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises at least one selected from the group of a mobile device, augmented reality glasses, and smart watch. 
     
     
         13 . A method for determining a payment terminal via augmented reality, the method comprising:
 activating, by a user device application, a camera associated with a user device;   detecting, by the user device application via the camera, one or more merchant symbols associated with one or more merchants;   determining, by the user device application, whether the one or more detected merchant symbols match one or more known merchant symbols;   determining, by the user device application, whether the merchant accepts one or more predetermined payment methods;   generating, by the user device application, a determination message, wherein:
 the determination message indicates whether the one or more merchants accepts any one of the one or more predetermined payment methods, and 
 the determination message is a virtual object, and 
   displaying, by the user device application, the determination message on an augmented reality enabled display associated with the user device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 opening a first communication field; and   receiving, over the first communication field, a merchant datum, wherein the datum is associated at least with the payment methods accepted at the merchant.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises retrieving, by the user device application upon detecting one or more merchant symbols, one or more customer-provided data from a data storage unit, wherein the customer-provided data comprises at least information associated with any accepted payment methods for the one more merchants associated with the one or more merchant symbols. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the user device application, a first geolocation of the user device;   receiving, by the user device application, a second geolocation of the user device, wherein the second geolocation is associated with an inside of a merchant store;   determining, by the user device application, whether the merchant accepts one or more predetermined payment methods;   generating, by the user device application, a determination message; and   transmitting, by the user device application to the user device, a notification to the user device, the notification comprising at least a message announcing that a merchant associated with the merchant store that accepts one of the predetermined payment methods.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 retrieving, upon determining that no merchant symbols match any merchants on record, one or more geolocation data from the user device;   determining, by the user device application based on the geolocation data from the user device, where a nearest merchant on record is located; and   displaying, by the user device application through the user device, a determination message, wherein the determination is overlaid on top of a display associated with the user device, wherein the determination display comprises a message disclosing where the nearest merchant on record is located.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the user device application prior to opening the camera, one or more geolocation data from the user device;   determining, by the user device application, a location of the user device;   determining, by the user device application, whether the location of the user device is sufficiently close to a merchant location; and   transmitting, by the user device application upon determining that the user device is sufficiently close to a merchant location, a notification to the user device, the notification comprising at least a message announcing that a merchant that accepts one of the predetermined payment methods is nearby and a prompt to open the camera, wherein the prompt can be tapped via the display.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the notification consists of at least one selected from the group of a short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), or push notification. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a device comprising a user device application, configure the computer hardware arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
 activating a camera associated with a user device;   detecting, via the camera, one or more merchant symbols associated with one or more merchants;   determining whether the one or more detected merchant symbols match one or more known merchant symbols;   identifying a merchant based on a match between the one or more merchant symbols and the one or more known merchant symbols,   determining whether the identified merchant accepts one or more predetermined payment methods;   generating a determination message, wherein:
 the determination message states at least whether the one or more merchants accepts any one of the one or more predetermined payment methods, and 
 the determination message is a virtual object; and 
   displaying the determination message on an augmented reality enabled display associated with the user device.